This invention relates in general to a composition and method for relieving the symptoms of such auto-immune ailments as rheumatoid arthritis or asthma and, more particularly, to a composition that can be injected into a person who suffers from such with the result that, without apparent significant side effects, there is material and significant remission of symptoms. The nature of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma are such that one familiar with them would be led to conclude that other auto-immune ailments which also involve symptomatic inflammation of tissues will also respond to treatment according to the present invention: multiple sclerosis (nerve tissue), lupus erythematosus (kidneys), sclerodermata (skin), arteritis, and other somewhat rare ailments classified as connective tissue diseases, or immune complex diseases.
Using ant stings as a means of treatment is impossible, not only because live ants cannot be shipped or handled efficiently, but because of the unbearable pain of the many stings necessary.
The extract used formerly solved these problems, but still produced certain discomfort, and, although harmless, in some sensitive patients there was a slight local irritation at the point of injection.
The new, purified extract reduces those local irritations of the skin to practically zero. There are a number of theories for the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis including the probability that it is an auto-immunological ailment which requires the existance of an antibody or RA factor in the blood. (Note RA and RF are used interchangeably in this disclosure). The presence of the RA factor antibody is well known and widely used as a confirming test for arthritis. A rheumatoid arthritis causative agent has not been isolated.
As noted above, because the present invention works on a second auto-immune ailment, and in view of certain results of laboratory tests in vitro with components of the human body complement system and tests on at least one patient, it is believed that similar auto-immune ailments will also respond to treatment.
It is too notorious to require further explication here that the pain and discomfort due to arthritis and asthma is a major disabling factor for large numbers of people. Even without actually curing these diseases, a remission of the symptoms would permit many individuals to lead more profitable and more fulfilling lives. Other auto-immune ailments if untreated, can cause death.
It is an object of this invention to provide a means for relieving pain, swelling and other pathological symptoms due to rheumatoid arthritis.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide such a means that is easy to employ and is relatively safe.
It is a still further object to provide such a means which has practical utility in that side effects such as pain are relatively mild or non-existant. It is a related object to provide such means which does not operate as a stress agent, that is which does not stimulate the adrenal gland to produce cortical steroids: an anti-stress as well as anti-inflammatory agent whose depletion, caused by continued stimulation of the adrenal gland, can result in the development of life threatening adrenal crisis on the occurrence of otherwise harmless everyday stresses, as occurs with other drugs on the market.